The E.P.A. and Pesticide Regulation
Exposure to pesticides such as organophosphates clearly puts individuals at risk, especially young children and pregnant women.
This recent article provides a little insight into how the current regulation of pesticides is working (or not working, depending on your perspective):
Despite the agency’s insistence that pesticide regulations follow scientific guidelines, several agency scientists said industry determined how chemicals were regulated.
“It’s how the game is played,” said an E.P.A. specialist involved in the pesticide program who spoke on the condition of anonymity because, he said, critics within the agency often lose choice assignments.
“You go to a meeting, and word comes down that this is an important chemical, this is one we’ve got to save,” he said. “It’s all informal, of course. But it suggests that industry interests are governing the decisions of E.P.A. management. The pesticide program functions as a governmental cover for what is effectively a private industry licensing program.”
Not so good.
Contact your representatives and let them know you’d like to see greater independence of the E.P.A. from industry, so that scientists can be allowed to do their jobs without interference.
